Train dispatching system for railroads



Sept. 22, 1931. s. N. WIGHT TRAIN DISPATCHING SYSTEM FOR RAIL-ROADS 1 l l I l I l I l l l I J INVE 6.

Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca SEDGWICK N. WIGHT, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY,

OF-ROCI ESTER, NEW YORK TRAIN DISPATCHING SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Original application filed October 13, 1927, Serial No. 225,925, now Patent No. 1,770,364, dated. July 8, 1930. Divided and this application filed June 4, 1930. Serial No. 459,208.

it is proposed to so organize the circuits for controlling a distant switch machine and the signals associated therewith over a single line circuit, such as shown in my prior application Ser. No. 120,423, filed July 3, 1926,

i that a continuing visual and a momentary audible signal are given when a train enters the detector track circuit associated with the track switch operated by such switch machine, to give a momentary visual and audible signal when the switch machine is started and when it has completed its operating stroke in response to indicating current transmitted over the same line circuit as that used for controlling such switch machine and signals.

More specifically, it is proposed to carry the control circuit connecting the dispatchers ofiice and the distant track switch through contacts which are open when the detector track circuit associated with such track switch is occupied, so that the continuity of the circuit may be ascertained at the dispatchers oflice, to sound an audible signal when the continuity of this line circuit is first broken at a point remote from the dispatchers otlice, and to momentarily break this line circuit at the beginning and again at the end of each operating cycle of the switch machine.

Other objects, purposes and characteristic features of the invention are in part obvious from the accompanying drawings and will in part be pointed out in the description thereof hereinafter.

This application is a division of my prior application Ser. No. 225,925 filed October 13, 1927, which has matured into Patent No. 1,770,364, dated July 8, 1930.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be made to the accompanying drawings which shows the circuits at the distant way station as well as those located in the dispatchers oiiice of one embodiment of the present invention.

Structure.-Referr1ng to the drawings the dotted rectangle DO represents the dispatchers oilice, from which the switch machines and signals atboth ends of a plurality of passing sidings of a railway system are controlled. In this dispatchers office is located a control board, preferably having a miniature track layout associated therewith, of which one passing siding of the miniature track layout and two levers L and L for controlling the switch machine and signals at opposite ends of the corresponding siding only have been illustrated. At the ends of the siding of the miniature track layout shown, are provided indicating lamps 5 and 6, which are used for indicating the occupancy of the detector or fouling track circuits associated with the track switch at the ends of the corresponding passing siding of the railway system. There is associated with each lever a line relay'LR, a bell relay BR and a second bell relay SBR; and there are also provided manually operable switches or push buttons 7 and 8 for each lever. Only one audible'signal or bell BL has been illustrated, which is in practice connectedin a circuit arrangement so that if any one of the bell relays BB is energized while its secondary bell relay SBR is deener gized this bell BL will sound. Any number of such audible signals may be used one for each group of levers, which levers may be divided in groups depending on local conditions and the number of bells desired to be used in a particular installation.

In the drawings has been shown a simplified circuitarrangement of the apparatus used at east or right hand end of the passing sidingv SD corresponding to the miniature passing siding 8d illustrated within the dotted rectangle DO. This way station apparatus includes a switch machine SM, which may be operated to normal through the neutral contact 10 and the polar contact 11 of a control relay Z, through the normal wire N, and which may be operated to the take-siding position through these same contacts and the reverse wire B. This showing is only conventional and reference may be made. to my prior application above referred to, if desired, for a more complete showing. The control relay Z is controlled from the dispatchers oiiice DO in a manner as more readily explained in the operation of the system. This control relay Z, through its neutral contact 12 and polar contact 13, is adapted to permit Clearing of any one of the signals 1, 1, 2 and 2 through circuits including the contacts closed in accordance with the position of the track switch, either through contacts operated by the switch machine or contacts in the usual switch box associated with such track switch, and in accordance with the conditions of energization of home relays, the energization of which home relays depends upon traffic conditions ahead of the signal. to be operated. In the particular ar 'angement shown the tr ck switch IS has associated therewi h the usual detector track circuit including the track battery 15 and the track relay T, of which the latter is shown conventionally by a dotted line. In order to indicate at the dispatchers oflice whether the switch machine SM is assuming an extreme normal or reverse position or whether it is assuming some intermediate position a switch machine relay NP has been provided, which relay, among other things, controls a signaling or OS-ing relay OS. It is believed that the present invention can be most readily described by explaining the operation of the system illustrated in Fig. 1.

Operation.-Under normal conditions, that is when all of the four signals 1, 1 2 and 2 are held at stop and when the lever L is in its neutral position the relays LR, BR and SEE inthc tower are all deenergized, as shown, and the audible signal BL is silent and the indicating lamp 6 is extinguished. At the distant passing siding SD, of which the track switch IS and the signals associat-ed therewith may be controlled by this lever L, the control relay Z is deenergized as shown, but the relays WP, T and OS are in their normal energized condition. he home relays 2H and 1H have been shown in their normal energized condition on the assumption that traffic conditions in the single track section "O'as well as on the main track of the passing siding SD are clear, that is, these track sections are not occupied.

In order to simplify the illustration of the system shown, the positive side of a suitable source of current has been designated B, the

negative side of this source of current has been designated N and the neutral point of this source has been designated O. This source of current preferably comprises a gattery although a direct current generator of the Edison three wire type may be used, desired. Further, alternating current may be used equally aswell as direct current although in that event more line circuits are required because two independent circuits are necessary to operate a three position alternating current relay.

If the train dispatcher moves the lever L in a clockwise direction he energizes the control relay Z toward the right through the following circuit :-beginning at the terminal B, contact -21, wires 22, 23 and 24, contacts 253-26, wires 27, 28 and 29, winding of the relay LR, line wire 30, contact 31 of the relay OS, wire 32, winding of the control relay Z, to common wire O (not shown) connected to the midpoint of said battery. T he completion of this circuit causes the relays and Z to assume their energized position, and if the dispatcher continues his movement of the lever L to its extreme, position the circuit just traced is broken at the contacts but is re-established through wires 33, 3e and 35 and the stick contact 36 of the relay LR. It is thus seen that movement of the lever L toward its normal position completes a pick-up circuit for the line relay LR and that the line relay LR is maintained energized through a stick circuit if the lever L is moved to the extreme normal position.

In tl connection it should be noted that the relay BR and the indicating lamp 6 will not be momentarily energized while current is applied to the relay LR and the line circuit 30 while the contact 36 of this relay LR is still in its lower-most position, because the circuit for the indicating lamp (3 and the relay BB is at that time open by reason of the contacts 378 8 not havii'ig yet been closed, this because the relay LR is sutficiently quick acting to have assumed the energized position before the lever L has been moved to its extreme position.

Energization of the control relay 2 to its right hand position will operate the switch machine SM to the normal straight track position, if it has not already assumed that position, and will permit clearing of the starting signal 2 through the following circuit :beginning at the terminal B of a suitable battery, neutral contact 12, control relay Z, wire lO, polar contact 13, wire l1, contacts 4E243 of the switch machine closed only when it assumes its normal posit-ion. wire 4%, signal mechanisms (not shown) of the starting signal 2, wires and L6, front contact 47 of the home relay 2H to the common return wire G.

Let us now assume that a train moving from leftto right on the main track of siding SD accepts the starting signal 2, and proceeds into the single track section O. As soon as this train treads upon the detector track circuit associated with switch IS, the track relay T is deenergized there-by dropping its front cont act 4:8 and breaking the energizing circuit for the relay OS, which in turn due to dropping of a contact '31 opens the line circuit for the relay Z heretofore traced. This opening of the line circuit, however, will not effect deenergization of the control relay Z because the following supplemental circuit will maintain the relay Z to the'position to which it was just energized :-starting at the battery 50, wire 51, polar contact 52 of the control relay Z, wire 53, neutral contact 54 of the control relay Z, wire 55, contact 31 of the relay OS,

\vire winding of the control relay Z through a common wire O to back contact 56 of the relay OS, wire 57 to the neutral point of the battery 50. The opening of the line circuit at the contact 31 just mentioned, however, will effect deenergization of the line relay LR located in the dispatchers relay LR will complete an energizing circuit for the bell relay BR as follows :be-

ginning at the terminal B, contacts 20-21 of the lever L, wires 23, 33 and 34, contact 36 of the relay LR in its lower position, wires 58 and 59, winding of the relay BR, wires 60 and 61, push button contact 7, wires 62 and 63, contacts 37-38, to common return wire C connected to the midpoint of said battery. lVith the relay BR energized the following circuit for the audible signal BL is completed :beginning at the terminal. B, winding of the audible signal BL, wire 65, contact 66 of the relay SBR in the deenergized condition, wire 67, front contact 68 of the relay BR, wires 69 and 61, contact 7, wires 62 and 63, contact 37- 38, to the common return wire C. The ciris broken at the contact 66 of the relay SBR.

If desired the switch 7 may be left open, in which event no audible signals will be given. The circuit for the secondary bell relay SBR may be traced as follows 1-beginning at the terminal B, contact 21, wires 22, 23, 33, 70 and 71, contact 72 of the relay BR, wire 73, winding of the relay SBR, to the common return wire C. It is thus noted that the entering of the train in question upon the detector track circuit causes the bell. BL to be sounded momentarily. his entering of the train upon the detectortrack circuit and its breaking of the line circuit also causes the indicating lamp 6 to be energized, this through the following circuit remembering that the contact of the relay LR is in its deenergized condition so long as the track relay T is down :beginning at the terminal B, contacts 20-21, wires 22, 23, 33 and 34, contact 36 in its lower position, wires 58 and '75, indicating lamp 6, wires 76 and 63, through contacts 3738, to the common return wire C. Although the bell BL is only momentarily sounded the lamp 6 will reotiice DO, and dropping of this line main lighted so long as the detector track circuit remains occupied. Also, although with switch 7 open no audible signal is given, the lamp 6 is nevertheless illuminated.

In the dispatching of train movements it is usually important to know only when a certain track section is being occupied rather than how long it is occupied, and if the dispatcher has taken account of the illumination of the lamp 6 he may operate the lever L toward the neutral position to a point where contacts 37-38 are opened. If the lever is moved to a position Where contacts 20 and are both bridged by their respective contacts 21 and 26 the relay LR will be rendered non-stick and this relay and the relay Z will be reenergized as soon as the detector track circuit is cleared, thus allowing a following train to proceed. This, by opening of contacts-37- 38 also cancels the visual indication by extinguishing the lamp 6,

As soon as the train in question has moved entirely into the singletrack section O the detector track relay T is again energized, thereby re-energizing the relay OS and breaking the stick circuit for the control relay Z and reclosing the line circuit at the front contact 31 of relay OS. Since the line relay LR, and also the relay Z connected of contact 31 will not cause the line relay LR to pick up, nor will the line circuit thereafter be energized, and the control relay Z will remain in its deenergized normal condition. In this connection it is desired to point out that the train dispatcher may close the manually operable switch 8 momentarily and thereby again pick up the line relay LR which will cause cnergization of the control relay Z and the clearing of signal 2 as soon as the train in question has advanced sufiiciently far into the single track sect-ion O, this signal 2 being controlled in accordance with trafiic conditions in advance through the medium of the relay 2H. This latter procedure would be followed in the event that it is desired to have a second train follow the train in question into or out of the single track section 0. This pick-up circuit for the relays LR and Z may be traced as follows :-beginning at the terminal of the central ofiice battery, contact 20 of the lever L, wires 22, 23, 33 and 70, manually operable switch 8, wire 29, winding of the relay LR, line wire 30, front contact 31 of therelay OS, wire 32, winding of the relay Z to the common return wire O connected to the midpoint of the central oflice battery. It is thus seen that the arrangement automatically allows only the-first of several following trains to pass :3

the switch location for each act by the dispatcher of clearing a signal, thus making the signals in fact stick signals, if desired.

- It is believed unnecessary to specifically consider the operation of moving the switch machine to the take-siding position, and how such operation of the switch machine will cause a visual and audible signal to be given. On the other hand, it should be noted that if the switch machine SM is operated through circuits heretofore mentioned, its operation will cause deenergiza tion of the switch machine relay VP from the time when operation is started until the switch machine has completed its operating stroke. During this time the relay OS will be energized from the negative terminal of the battery 80, or in other words the relay OS will have its polarity reversed at the beginning of the operation of switch machine SM, and will again have its polarity reversed when the switch machine SM has completed its operating stroke. This reversal of polarity of current applied to the relay OS will cause it to be momentarily deenergized when. the switch machine is started and again when it has completed its operating stroke. It is thus seen that starting of the switch machine will deenergize the relay LR connected in a st-icl' circuit, and will momentarily sound the bell BL and illuminate the indicating lamp 6 contin uously until either the lever L is moved to its neutral position or the push button 8 is closed, and that if the push button 8 is closed during the operation of the switch machine SM the relay LR will pick up, extinguishing the lamp 6, and then a momentary audible and visual signal are given when the switch machine has completed its operating stroke.

Attention is directed to the fact that movement of the lever L in a counter-clockwise direction will not effect energization of the control relay Z in the event that the lever L is at that time in the left hand or counter-clockwise position, because contacts 22 are connected to the negative terminal N of the battery through wire 81 and contacts 82 closed only when lever L assumes the neutral .or clockwise position. This feature is merely an interlock between the levers associated with a passing siding, and has very little relation to the present invention, and is more particularly pointed out in another application co-pcnding with the present application.

Having thus shown one specific embodiment of the present invention and having described the functions rather specifically, although the devices included in the system have been shown conventionally it is desired to be understood that the system shown has been selected for the purpose of QXBD1' the scope thereof or the exact circuit arrangements preferably employed in practicing the same; and that various changes, modifies tions and additions may be made to adapt the invention to the particular railway signaling system to which the invention is to be applied, all without departing from the scope of the present invention or the idea of means underlying the same, except as demanded by the scope of the following claims.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a system of remote control for traftic controlling apparatus for railroads, the combination with a single line circuit for controlling a distant traffic controlling device from a local tower, of a line relay connected in series in said circuit and located at said tower, a lever at said tower for applying electrical energy to said line circuit, means for opening said circuit at said distant traiiic controlling device when a certain indication is to be transmitted, means for momentarily sounding an audible signal when said line relay is deenergized by opening of said line circuit at a. distant point, and manually operable means for rendering said audible signal inactive.

2. in a system of remote control for trafiic controlling apparatus for railroads, the combination with a single line circuit for controlling a distant trafiic controlling device from a local tower, of a line relay connected in series in said circuit and located at said tower, a lever at said tower for applying electrical energy'to said line circuit,

means for opening said circuit at said distant traiiic controlling device when a certain indication is to be transmitted; and means for momentarily sounding an audible signal upon deenergization of said line relay, comprising an auxiliary relay energized upon deenergization of said line relay, and circuit for said audible signal including a back contact of said auxiliary relay.

' In a system of remote control for trafe fie controlling apparatus for railroads, the combination with a single line circuit for controlling a distant trafiic control-ling devicefrom a local tower, of a line relay connected in series in said circuit and located at said tower, a lever at said tower for ap plying electrical energy to said line circuit, means for openin said circuit at said distant trafiie controlling device when a certain indication is to be transmitted; and means for momentarily sounding an audible signal upon deenergization of said line relay, comprising an auxiliary relay energized upon d'eenergization of said line relay, and a circuit for said audible signal including a contact closed when said line relay is deenergizcd and a back contact of said auxiliary relay.

i. In a train dispatching system the combination with a distant track switch; a

switch machine for operating said track switch; and of control and indicating means for controlling operation of said switch machine and for indicating the passage of a train over said track switch comprising; a single line circuit connecting a local oliice and said distant track switch including a control relay located at said track switch and an indicating line relay located at said oilice, a lever at said tower which if moved in one direction will first close a pick-up circuit for said line relay including said control relay, will then close a stick circuit for said line relay including said control relay and a front contact of said line relay and will then close at one point an indicating circuit which may be closed at another point upon deenergization of said line relay, an audible signal rendered active upon deenergization of said line relay, manually operable means for rendering said audible signal inactive, and manually operable means for shuntingsaid front contact of said line relay.

5. In a train dispatching system; the combination with a distant track switch; a switch machine for operating said track switch; and of control and indicating means for controlling operation of said switch machine and for indicating the passage of a train over said track switch comprising; a single line'circuit connecting a local office and said distant track switch including a control relay located at said track switc and an indicating line relay located at said oiiice, a lever at said tower which if moved in one direction will first close a pick-up circuit for said line relay including said control relay, will then close a stick circuit for said line relay including said control re- (lay and a front contact of said line relay and will then close at one point an indicating circuit which may be closed at another point upon deenergization of said line relay, and an audible signal rendered active upon deenergization of said line relay and including a manually operable contact, whereby said audible signal may be rendered in active.

6. In a train dispatching system; the combination with a distant track switch; a switch machine for operating said track switch; and of control and indicating means for controlling operation of said switch machine aud for indicating the passage of a train over said track switch comprising; a single line circuit connecting a local office and said distant track switch including a control relay located at said track switch and an indicating line relay located at said oflice, a lever at said tower which if moved in one direction will first close a pick-up circuit for said line relay including said control relay, will then close a stick circuit for said line relay including said control relay and a front contact of said line relay and will then close at one point an indicating circuit which may be closed at another point upon deenergization of said line relay, and a manually operable normally open contact in multiple with said front contact of said line relay, whereby if said stick relay is deenergized as by momentary opening of said line circuit due to the passage of a train said line relay and control relay may be re-cnergized by operation of said manually operable contact, and means for rendering said indicating circuit inactive.

'7. In a train dispatching system; the combination with a distant track switch; a switch machine for operating said track switch; and of control and indicating means for controlling operation of said switch machine and for indicating the passage of a train over said track switch comprising; a single line circuit connecting a local oflice and said distant track switch including a control relay located at said track switch and an indicating line relay located at said office, means for opening said line circuit at said track switch upon the passing of a train over said track switch, a lever at said tower which if moved in one direction will first close a pick-up circuit for said line relay including said control relay, will then close a stick circuit for said line relay including said control relay and a front contact of said line relay and will then close at one point an indicating circuit which may be closed at another point by upon deenergization of said line relay, and a circuit including an audible signal and a front contact of a relay having its winding connected in multiple with said indicating lamp.

8. In a train dispatching system; the combination with a distant track switch; a switch machine for operating said track switch; and of control and indicating means for controlling operation of said switch machine and for indicating the passage of a train over said track switch comprising; a single line circuit connecting a local oflice and said distant track switch including a control relay located at said track switch and an indicating line relay located at said office, means for opening said line circuit at said track switch upon the passing of a train over said track switch, a lever for energizing said line circuit, a repeater relay controlled by said line relay, an audible signal controlled by said repeater relay, and a separate manualy operable contact for removing said repeater relay from control by said line relay.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SEDGIVICK N. IGHT. 

